The Unfinished Not-Business
by Malakina
Summary: It's midnight and Rose Granger-Weasley comes home to her partner Scorpius Malfoy and her one-year-old daughter. Suddenly, a figure in a black robe intrudes and abducts Malfoy, making him disappear. Rose discovers herself in a never-ending horror movie when no one seems to remember Scorpius existence. She'll have to dig into her past and find him, or else face the fatal consequences
1. Chapter I

My name is Malakina and I write stories.

 **Disclaimer:** Anything you recognize is not mine, but from J.K Rowling. The rest (OC's and plot) is mine.

* * *

 **The Unfinished Not-Business**

 **Chapter I**

The fog outside the window gave the impression that they were floating in the sky, he randomly thought. It was almost twelve o'clock and no sign of her partner anywhere. He yawned and sat down on the sofa, and seriously thought about calling her. Not that he knew much about phones, but over the years he kind of got the grip of them. He didn't like using them though, every muggle he knew was obsessed with one of those.

His lids started closing without him even noticing. He really wanted to wait for her, but _Merlin,_ was he tired. He'd been at work all day solving an issue between a muggle company and some dwarfs. His boss didn't allow him to leave until they put a solution to the problem, because it had been going on forever. He loved his cousin, but she could be pretty strict when coming to bossing around.

Scorpius Malfoy had been working at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement for five years now, and he really loved it there. He truly believed he was bettering the magical society. His cousin Selene Pucey was the head of the department and the youngest member of the Wizengamot, which was an impressive achievement for someone as young as she was. Scorpius was really proud of her, and although he had other goals in life, he couldn't help but be a little jealous of her. But lately he had been working on something that could turn the whole magic world around. It appeared to be impossible after years and years of trying, and he was ready to give up, when last week, an unexpected visitor came to his office. Now he was excited: he really thought it could work.

He stared at the door for a couple minutes, trying to conjure his girlfriend to their household. It was weird to call her that when they've been together for almost twelve years, but they both decided that marriage just wasn't for them. They just didn't feel like it had a point anymore. They were happy and they were fully committed to their relationship, and they didn't need a paper to confirm that.

The clock ticked again: twelve thirty. She had never been this late and he was starting to worry. What if something happened? He always told himself that someone would send a _patronus_ in case something went wrong, but when talking about her profession, he never knew.

He stood up, in an attempt to wake himself up. What if she went on a really dangerous mission? What if she's in another country now? Sometimes she couldn't talk about her job, something understandable as the security of the British wizarding world depended on it. She would go on missions without telling him, and that worried Scorpius to death. He knew she could take care of herself but…

The paranoia started raising up when the door finally opened, with a subtle creek. There she was: Rose Jean Granger-Weasley. Her puffy eyes were even worst than his, which lead him to think that she wasn't on a mission but dealing with paperwork. Her brown curls were all tied up in a bun and she looked paler than ever. He was tired, but Rose was exhausted.

"Scorpius" she said, her eyes brightening up a little "You didn't have to wait for me"

"Of course I did" he replied. He always waited for her when she was in the Academy, as she always waited for him outside the University when he finished an important exam. They were always there for each other.

"I'm so sorry. I've been stuck with paperwork all night" Rose apologised, while Scorpius picked up her suitcase and put it to a side. She probably flew all the way home and that's exhausting, he would know. They don't tend to appear in their own house unless it's necessary, because they don't want to open breaches so other people can snick in. When you and your partner both have important positions in the Ministry of Magic, you have to be careful.

"Did no one help you?" he questioned. Rose shocked her head in denial.

"Al's sick and James is on a mission. And you know the rest of the Department hates me, so" she huffed.

"They don't" Scorpius affirmed "They just don't think it's fair that you have such a high position at the office"

Rose nodded, reluctantly. It was always the same. It was a common prejudice to think that all her achievements were due to her surname. James Sirius was currently the head of the auror office, following his father's steps. Albus Potter and Rose were his best team, but they were also part of his family. He had to be careful so it wouldn't look like he was favouring them when he gave them the hardest, but most important missions.

Scorpius didn't have that problem, because unlike his partner, he didn't have a good legacy. Following the Malfoy surname, he had to work really hard to prove everyone that he was worth it, like his cousin Selene.

"Well, there's someone who's been waiting all night to see you" Rose eyes brightened up again, and a big smile flooded her face. Scorpius turned and approach a small crib in the room, then he leaned and took a small bump in his arms.

"She also wanted to wait for you but she felt sleep in my arms around ten o'clock" the baby was almost a year old, even tinier now that she was asleep. Cassiopeia Granger-Malfoy was exactly like her mother, only she had blue metallic eyes like her father. The wild brown hair had passed down to her and rounded up her chubby face. She wasn't quite as pale as her mother, but instead she had a milky, creammy skin that blushed constantly.

Rose didn't want to wake her up, but she couldn't help kissing her forehead softly. Luckily, her daughter had inherited the easiness of Ron Weasley to sleep.

"Oh crap!" Malfoy gushed, instantly regretting his tone. The baby stirred in his arms, but she didn't wake up. "I forgot to turn off the sprinklers!" he said, handing Cassiopeia to Rose.

"Can you just turn them off tomorrow?" Rose asked, cradling her child in her arms.

"They turn on at five thirty, and believe me I _won't_ get up just to turn of the sprinklers"

Rose giggled. She hated morning as much as her father, and Scorpius had adopted her despite to early risings.

"I'll be back in ten. Can you take her up?" Rose nodded, while Malfoy put on his coat and exited the house.

Rose looked down to her baby girl. She didn't know it was possible to love something so much. Last year she spent every second of the day with her and now she misses her all the time she's away. She didn't even want to think about when she left to Hogwarts. Cassiopeia had already had some magic incidents, nothing too serious (but they did have to hire a new babysitter, and a witch _just in case_ ). She softly hugged Cassie, as they usually call her, and went upstairs to put her in her crib. She was starting to sleep alone in her room, which even made Rose more anxious. Selene, who had two older children, had already told her that she would eventually get over it. She hoped so: she would never admit it but she really didn't mind that Cassie woke her up in the middle of the night crying. She didn't do it often, as she slept like a log, but from time to time she got to spend a little extra time with her trying to calm her down.

This time, Cassie did notice she was being put down. She started crying shortly after her mother placed her on the crib.

"Shh. It's time to sleep now" she whispered, but Cassie cried even louder. Rose then decided to hold her in her arms and cradle her some more. The baby immediately felt back to sleep, effortlessly.

Few moments later, the door slammed downstairs and Cassie woke up again, this time screaming "Mom" in tears. The noise wasn't that loud, but she couldn't calm her in anyways. She followed the stairs down, with the little one shouting like she was being slaughtered.

"Scorpius! What was that? You know she was sleep-…"

At the door, Scorpius Malfoy wasn't alone. A tall figure wearing a black robe pressed a wand against his back, while he shivered, trying not to break down.

"So this is your family, traitor. Lovely" commented sarcastically the dark figure with a male voice. He was impassively threatening Malfoy, no sign of worry in his tone. Rose reached for his wand with her left hand, but the intruder noticed.

"Don't even think about it. No matter how good you think you are, I'm better" he stated. Cassie wouldn't stop screaming, and Rose felt tears shedding in her eyes, impotently.

"What do you want?" she demanded, her voice breaking "If you have a problem with me, take me. Please, leave him" she pled.

"Aw, how cute, traitor, your wife wants to take your place. Do you usually let your woman fight your battles for you?" the man scoffed. Scorpius snorted, but he remained silent.

"Take a good look at them, Malfoy, because this will be the last time you'll see them"

"No!" Rose beamed "Please, don't do this."

But the man opened the door behind him and ordered Scorpius to go through it.

"Scorpius!" Rose shouted, helplessly. He looked at her and mouthed "I'm sorry", while being pushed away. The man shot the door behind him, even louder this time.

"No!" Rose run to the door, but there was no one there when she opened it. She stepped out into her yard "Scorpius!" she called, furious, impotent, scared. Cassie kept on crying, Rose tried to calm her in tears "It's okay. It's going to be okay" she repeated, trying to convince herself more than her baby. The fog hovered around them, fading away every trace of Scorpius Malfoy.


	2. Chapter II

I'm so sorry it took so long to update, but honestly I was completely blocked. This is the second chapter of the story. The dynamic of this narrative will be one chapter in the present, one chapter in the past. They'll seem like two different stories, but they _will_ come together.

So, here's chapter II

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 **Chapter II**

 _Fourteen years earlier…_

"So, this is the Great Hall, where…Rose Granger-Weasley! What are you doing _here_?"

All first year students turned around in time to see a sixteen-years-old Rose Granger-Weasley wildly blush and drop all of the thousands of books she was carrying.

"Auch!" complained a girl with two blonde pigtails and a freckled face "That was my foot!"

"I'm so sorry!" Rose apologized, picking up her books and completely embarrased. She wasn't really shy, but she was clumsy and the teacher scared the hell out of her.

"Aren't you supposed to be already inside, Miss?" reproached Professor Alaska Newton, the Charms teacher and in charge of the Sorting Ceremony that year.

"I am" Rose replied, carefully advancing between the first-years. "I just went momentarily to the library to borrow some books…"

"And _this_ was the best moment for it? Right before the Sorting Ceremony?" Rose really liked Professor Newton, but she could be scary. She stood there, looking at her while her teacher's green eyes pierced hers. If she hadn't known better, she would probably think she was being mind read.

"I'm sorry?" she finally said, and she hoped it was enough. She really didn't want to start the school year with ten points less to her house.

But after all, Professor Newton was the Head of her House.

"You better be. Now go inside. Professor McGonagall has a big announcement after the Sorting Ceremony" Newton ordered, with a really subtle smile on her lips. Rose knew she was probably one of her favourite students, but neither of them would admit it out loud. Professor Newton was as tough on her as she was with the rest of the students.

That's probably why Rose liked her so much.

The Professor slightly opened one of the gates and Rose squeezed through the small gap between them. Before her, the magnificent Great Hall of Hogwarts. It was her sixth year of school and it still amazed her every time she saw the night sky over the dinning tables.

Getting a better grip of her books, she passed the Gryffindor table and waved to her cousins Roxanne Weasley and Albus Potter, who were chatting with some of their House mates. Albus waved back, but Roxie didn't see her. She seemed to be distracted talking to someone else.

Someone who she rather not saw. At least for now.

She walked by the Hufflepuff table, where her brother was sitting. He was too busy eating though, and if she learned anything from her family is not to disturb a Weasley while eating. Hugo was probably one of the sweetest boy on the entire planet, but he could probably rip her head off if she messed with his pudding.

Next, the Ravenclaw table. Lily Potter was quietly sitting at the end of the table reading a book.

"Hey Lils" Rose greeted. She saw her at the train station and she almost spent all the trip to Hogwarts with her talking about Lily's crush, but her cousin stood up and hug her (despite the million books in between) like she hadn't seen her in years.

"Hi Rose!" Lily said, too loudly, even for her. That's when Rose realized something was going on. "Is she looking?" Lily then whispered to her ear.

"Who's she?" Rose asked.

" _Atiana_ , Rose! I've been talking about her all the trip!" Lily answered, clearly molested by her cousins lack of discretion. The hug was becoming ridiculously long, so Rose carefully pulled out.

"I don't know who she is" Rose admitted, and Lily subtly pointed at the girl she was talking about. She was sitting around the middle of the table, talking with some Gryffindor boys. Her olive skin glowed under the Hall's light and her green cat eyes matched her blossom lips. Her long jet hair was carefully tided up in a ponytail and she wouldn't stop touching it and rolling it around her fingers.

"Lily, that girl is a seventh year" Rose informed.

"I _know_ " she shrugged "So, is she looking?"

Rose looked back. Of course, Atiana wasn't looking. She fairly doubted she even acknowledge Lily, a fourth year student.

But after all, it was the first day of school.

"I'm not sure, but I think she glanced" Lily widely smile and grabbed the book from the Ravenclaw's table.

"I'm going to tell Hugo. See you later!"

Rose couldn't help but smile when her fourteen-year-old cousin ran over Hufflepuff's table to talk to her best friend. Atiana was Lily's first crush and Rose didn't think she would ever be something more. But her cousin was pretty good at getting what she wanted, so they would probably at least know each other by the end of the year.

She finally headed to the Slytherin table, the quietest of them all. After six years, no one glared at her when she sat there, not because they liked her, but because they were used to her. Rose was the first Slytherin in her family and it was a shock for everyone, especially her father. He didn't take it well at first, but he finally got used to it. James was probably the one who took the news worst. Their personalities didn't exactly click, but Rose really cared about James, and it was really hard when he stopped talking to her. Luckily, he came around the idea of it by Christmas, but he promised her to be ruthless in Quidditch. When Rose made the team in her fourth year, her cousin kept his promise. It would probably be even worst now, considering he's the Team Captain.

Or better. Rose did love some competition.

A blonde tall girl quietly ate her dinner at one side of the table. In front of her, another girl extremely pale that contrasted her black hair and almost black eyes, seemed to be in the middle of a long narration to her friend.

"Hey guys" Rose said, while seating beside the blonde girl. She dropped all her books on the table, annoying several of her house mates who were seating nearby. "Selene, I got your Charms book" she handed such book to the girl beside her. "Lina, I couldn't find the book you asked for. I'll check tomorrow in the Forbidden Section" she commented to the girl in front of her.

" _Great_ , school trip to the Forbidden Section. Let's hope Professor Longbottom doesn't see us and makes up clean the entire dungeon…Oh wait, that already happened" Lina remarked, using her classical sarcasm. Rose just smiled: it wasn't the entire dungeon, just the Common Room.

"You should really consider getting your books in time, Rose" Selene recommended, while taking her book. "Next year you may not be so lucky to find them on the library"

"Sorry, Miss I'm-taking-level-7-Charms-because-I'm-so-smart-and-I-forgot-to-buy-the-correct-book, I will remember it next time" Rose replied, fake smile on her lips. Selene just rolled her eyes.

Suddenly, the doors of opened and hundreds of new faces started walking through the Great Hall, amazed and terrified with everything arround the,.

"I don't think I've ever seen so many kids" Lina commented.

"My mother told me that there hasn't been that many muggle-borns since before the War." Rose informed "She says that Hogwarts is a big castle, but she wasn't sure if it was going to be able to hold that many students ten years from now"

"They'll make room" Selene affirmed "This is a magic castle, after all."

After what it seemed eternity, the last child was finally sorted. All the tables were filled with new chubby faces who looked around excited, meeting their new mates. Gryffindor, as always, was the House with the most newbies, followed by Hufflepuff and then, surprisingly, Slytherin. They were used to have a really bad reputation, and a lot of children asked to not be in the snake's House. Probably all the muggle-borns didn't know about the bad reputation though, so they thought that their house was as good as the others.

Which it was. But not everybody knew it.

Everyone started standing up to head to their Common Rooms, glad that the long ceremony was finally over.

But Professor McGonagall had other plans.

"Please, everybody sit back down" she asked, her voice as solemn as always. Rose had known that woman her entire life but every time she spoke, she gave her chills. Her presence was imposing, but she was also one of the most caring people she had ever met, and one of the wisest too. Rose aspired to be as gentle but as influent as her someday.

"I know you are tired" she continued "But I have an announcement to make. I will make it short, I promise"

"Last year, Hogwarts was contacted by one of the best schools of magic in North America, the Ilvermorny School of Wizardry and Magic. They had a proposition to make, and after carefully talking it through, their Headmaster and I decided it was a great opportunity for both schools. This year, two students from Ilvermorny School are going to stay at Hogwarts as students. They will be sorted and they will attend classes with the rest of students"

Whispers started growing in the Hall and turned into expressions of surprise and excitement. Some students though, looked at each other in disgust: Ilvermorny was known for being part-founded by a muggle and even though they were really well considered, the wizards and witches that still had Voldemort's mind set considered the School a blasphemy.

"Silence!" ordered the Headmistress, and all the voices stopped at the moment. No one dare to defy Professor McGonagall. "They will be accompanied by one of their teachers back in Ilvermorny, who will also teach this year Defence Against the Dark Arts. Professor McCurthy will be teaching Defence in Ilvermorny and he'll be back next year" Professor McCurthy had been the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher since Teddy was a first year, and he was hated amongst all the students, and probably the teachers too. It would be a relief to rest from him a year.

"We are now going to welcome our Ilvermorny friends. Please, come in"

From one of the doors behind the teacher's table, three people came in while the whole room welcomed them with applauses. One of them clearly stood out: the teacher. She was a very tall, and probably very young too. Her robe was backwards and coloured feathers decorated her hair. The dazzling spark of her violet eyes was accentuated with heavy makeup, and her orange lips curved in a big smile.

The two students followed her. They looked like sixth years, maybe seventh. The girl was almost as tall as her teacher. She was black and her cornrows reached her waist. The aquamarine colour of her eyes really stood out. She walked confidently and softly smiled, like she was welcomed in a room of strangers everyday. The boy was perhaps a little shorter, as was as fair as Lina or Rose. He had strong, sharped features, a fully marked jawline and thick eyebrows. He really took good care of his brown hair, styled as he really didn't put any effort. Out of the three, he was the most serious. He looked around, scanning every corner of the room and carefully evaluating.

"Are all Americans _this_ pretty? Because it's not fair" Lina whispered and Rose quietly laughed. Even the teacher, despite her eccentric look, was really, really pretty.

Professor McGonagall greeted the students with a handshake and the students with a nod. The Headmistress welcomed the Ilvermorny teacher to introduce herself to all the students and she didn't hesitate to walk to the lectern.

"Hello, everyone, my name is Professor Isla Lopez and I'm your new Defence Against the Darks Art teacher" her American accent contrasted a lot with McGonagall's rounded British accent "I come as you know from Ilvermorny School of Wizardry and Magic, where we welcome students from all North America. I really look forward to spending this whole year with you." All the Great Hall applauded again. There was something about Professor Lopez that was captivating, and it seemed like she made a good impression.

"Before we sort the new students, I would like to finish your Headmistress announcement" there was more? "Last year in Ilvermorny we had a competition to decide who would be the two lucky students to spend a whole year overseas, here at Hogwarts. And next year, two Hogwarts students will have the chance to study in Ilvermorny"

Rose looked to Selene and Lina who were as surprised and intrigued as her and as the rest of the students. The hubbub started again, but Professor Lopez quickly shut it up.

"We wanted for two students of Hogwarts to spend this year at Ilvermorny, but we decided that since it was a pioneer idea, we would test it first at Ilvermorny. It did work and next year we will gladly welcome two Hogwarts students. All throughout the school year there will be some tests to determine who will be the winner. They are some conditions, though: only students from fourth to sixth year will be able to participate, considering that the seventh-years will be out of school by June. And don't worry, the tests are equally as challenging for all levels, so the older participants won't have any advantages. The tests will start in October and will end in April. Whoever wins will experience a year at Ilvermorny School like a regular student, with the exception of fourth and sixth-years, who will do extraordinary OWLS and NEWTS. This is a great change for you to experience something new and unique."

More applauses. A lot of people seemed really interested in the idea, and Rose had to admit that it was really appealing.

"Thank you, Isla. If you want to participate, please talk to the Head of your House before the 1st of October" McGonagall said "And now, let's proceed to the Sorting Ceremony"

Professor Newton stood up, as she was in charge of that year Sorting Ceremony, and walked down to the Sorting Hat.

"Venus Rosewood" she called, and the American girl sat down on the Sorting Chair. She didn't even look worried.

Brief moments later, the Sorting Hat put her in Gryffindor.

"Zachary Thompson" the boy seemed even less distress. His face was unreadable as Professor Newton put the hat on him.

It didn't take much time either.

"Slytherin!"

And suddenly, Zachary Thompson turned his stare to the Slytherin table.

Well, he looked to Rose. He looked to Rose and didn't stop looking at her until he came down to the table.

Rose wasn't easily intimidated, so she held the stare. The pupils of his eyes got lost in the blackness of the iris, accentuating the depth of his look. Rose couldn't look away, and she didn't know why.

"Rose? Are you there?" she finally broke visual contact, but she still felt the new boy's eyes nailed on her. Lina waved her hands, calling her attention.

"Yes" she said. "What's up?"

"What was _that_ about?" Selene asked. She didn't miss one.

"What?" Rose questioned, innocently.

"You know what we are talking about. The battle of stares that you had going on with the new boy" Lina said.

"I don't know what you are talking about" Rose denied, but she knew her friends wouldn't buy it.

"Come on, Rose. Don't play dumb. The only boy I've seen you looking at like that is…"

" _Don't_ say it" Rose interrupted. She really didn't want to talk about it. She just wanted to forget what happened.

"Okay" Lina continued "But he _is_ really cute, you know."

"Whatever" Rose dismissed "So, are you guys going to participate?"

Lina nodded "Though I have no chance if you two do too"

"Don't be _stupid_ , Lina" Selene intervened "You should participate, and I'm going to participate too. What about you, Rose?"

Rose shrugged.

"I don't know. Don't misunderstand me, I think it's an amazing opportunity, but I'm not sure with the NEWTS next year and all"

"Professor Lopez said there would be extraordinary NEWTS for the Hogwarts students" Lina remarked.

Rose sighed "I know. But it's risky. What if we are too distracted to properly study?"

"Oh, Rose, quit the excuses" Selene said "It's scary to go to another continent for a whole year, but it's also a one-time life experience"

Rose knew that. She knew it could be the best year of her life. She knew it could be great. But she wasn't going to admit what she was really afraid of. She had been afraid of it her entire life.

"Okay, let's do it. May the best woman win" she stated, and gave her friends her best fake smile.

When she looked back, Zachary Thompson wasn't looking at her anymore. But someone was, and she knew perfectly who he was. He looked over the Gryffindor table, and this time she refused to hold the stare.

It was the beginning of her sixth year and a new beginning for her.

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So, this is the first chapter of adolescent Rose! Next chapter will be back were we left last chapter. Please, review the story! Oh, and English is not my first language so _please_ comment on any grammar mistakes or anything you may think can be improve. Thank you!

Malakina


	3. Chapter III

**Chapter III**

"Do you need anything else, Al?"

Albus turned his head to the door and stared at the figure talking to him. His eyes instantly hurt looking at the bright light coming from the corridor.

"No, Ari, I'm fine" he replied, between coughs. He reached out to find another tissue amongst all the other used ones all over his bed.

"I can make you some soup if you want to" Ari turned on the night light and closed the door, and carefully sat on the bed by her husband's side.

"No, don't sit next to me, I don't want to get you sick. You should already be resting" Al said, as he sat up in the bed to make some distance. His wife warmly smiled at him while she rubbed her belly. She was nine months pregnant and in bed rest until she gave birth, which was due in only two weeks.

"I'm only pregnant, Albus, it's not like I've caught the Pixie's flu…like you" she stood up and got a bit closer to him "Besides, I already told you it's not contagious"

Albus coughed again and sneezed a couple times. The Pixie's flu was probably the most uncomfortable thing to catch. It was not deadly or anything but it took ages to get through it. It was just blatantly _annoying_ , like the Pixies. He just hoped he would be healthy enough to be there when his wife gave birth.

"I can't sleep so I think I'm going to go to the office for a bit to continue writing my report," Ari said, as she walked to the door. "Tell me if you need anything, okay?"

Albus nodded, as he quickly crawled back to bed and fall asleep. Ariana sighed as she came out of the room: she couldn't believe how terribly unlucky they were. The odds of Albus getting through the flu before she gave birth were 0 to none. He might have to wait before he could hold his baby in his arms.

Ariana Longbottom was a busy woman, and she hated not being busy. As the daughter of a famous Magical Creatures' expert and author of many novels on the topic and a renown professor at Hogwarts, she was under high expectations. However, she wasn't really afraid she couldn't meet them, as she was always curious to see the extent of her capacities. Her mom Luna had always been so carefree but so passionate, and her father Neville had always been so persevering and hardworking. She had grown up in what she considered the ideal household, one that she hoped she could provide a similar environment to her son. However, she was afraid of so, so many things, especially with Albus dangerous job and her being all over the world investigating new and old magical cultures and societies. She had always been fearless with her life and her goals, but she was terrified that she would be wrong in the one thing that mattered the most.

As she struggled to sit down in her office chair, she suddenly heard the doorbell ringing. She checked the time: 1:46 AM. Who would be at her doorstep at this time of night?

Cautious, she grabbed her wand and went downstairs. You never knew with Albus' job. As she walked down the corridor she saw her husband wrapped around a blanket holding his wand.

"Do you know who it might be?" he asked. Ariana shook her head, and she followed Albus downstairs. He looked through the peephole of the door and instantly opened the door.

Standing there, it was his cousin and best friend Rose Weasley, holding her crying daughter in her arms.

"Rose, what's wrong?" Ariana asked, staring confused at her friend. Standing in her doorway, Rose was shaking while her daughter sobbed inconsolably. She was livid, and her face was filled with horror.

"Scorpius" she muttered, as she quivered tirelessly. "Scorpius" she repeated, a bit louder. "Scorpius was taken"

* * *

"James said that he sent a patrol to your house to try and find any clues. He will call as soon as he hears anything"

Albus and Rose sat in the living room while Ariana was trying to get Cassie to go to sleep upstairs. The toddler seemed to calm down once she was in Ari's arms, probably because she was a lot calmer than her mom. As soon as they both learned what just happened in Rose's house, Albus called his brother to try and see if there was any possible way to track down Scorpius kidnapper.

"They won't find anything" Rose commented. "I don't know how to explain it, but I swear that the second he was gone it's like he was never there. Nothing moved. Nothing was out of place. If it weren't for Cassie I would probably still be there standing"

Rose's first instinct after Scorpius was taken was to get out of her house. If one of them knew where she lived, who knows who else did. She got into her car with her daughter and evaluated where she could go. She seriously considered going to see her mom, but she thought that that was probably the worst idea. Her father would just freak out and that was not what she needed. Her second thought was Albus, her best friend that lived only a couple of minutes away. She needed to feel safe, and she needed someone to calm her down. He was always good at that.

"She's upstairs sleeping" Ariana came downstairs, holding her belly and sat down next to Rose, bringing her into a hug. "And don't worry, this house is covered in protecting spells"

"So was mine" Rose replied. "I'll go, I'll go be with her" as she stood up, Ari stopped her and stood up instead.

"I'll go. You need to rest." Rose smiled at her friend as a sign of gratitude, but quickly reverted to her horrified expression, as she seemed to get lost in awful afterthoughts.

"Rose" Albus said, softly, holding her hands. "What else do you remember? Anything that can help?"

"I…I don't really know. It all happened so fast." Albus nodded, understanding. He couldn't even begin to imagine the sort of trauma his cousin just went through. He was awfully scared too. Scorpius had been his unconditional friend since they were eleven, and he considered him part of his family. He could not bear the idea of anything happening to him.

"Did he say anything? Did he threaten you?" Albus inquired.

"No…he made very clear he was after Scorpius" Rose expression subtly changed, as she seemed to remember something else "Wait. He called him a traitor."

"A traitor? What does that mean?"

Rose shook her head.

"I don't know. Scorpius has never been involved in anything dodgy or suspicious."

"What if…?" Albus coughed again, and he sneezed a couple times before he could finish his thought. "Sorry. What if it's not related to Scorpius, but his family?"

"Do you think it has to do with him being a Malfoy?"

"It's a possibility. I think tomorrow we should speak to Selene, and definitely Mr. and Ms. Malfoy." Albus gave a quite glance at the clock. "But for tonight I think you should get some sleep. I'll give you some Sleeping Draught"

"I need to take care of Cassie" Rose answered while standing up. "We'll go to a hotel. I don't want to bother you. I know you have a lot going on already."

"Don't be silly, Rose. Take the guest room, I'll take the sofa. Me and Ari will take Cassie to your parent's tomorrow."

"I'll take the sofa, Albus, you are way too ill" Rose commented, "I'll take Cassie to my parent's."

"No, we'll talk to them" he insisted. "You need to rest. James will be here tomorrow so we can see what the next steps are. The best thing for Cassie now is to be away from this. She is one year old but she feels how anxious her mom is feeling, and she does not need that right now"

Rose sighed, as she suddenly felt the entire weight of the situation on her.

"I don't know what to do Al" she mumbled, as tears started to fall from her eyes. "I don't know what I would do if something happened to him."

Albus embraced her cousin, ignoring his runny nose for a second. Rose gripped her cousin tightly, trying to hold on to her last bits of hope.

"Listen to me, it's going to be okay. We are going to find him." Albus gently pushed away and grabbed her cousin by the shoulders, looking straight into her eyes. "But you _need_ to be careful. This guy didn't only take Scorpius, he made sure that you would see him do it. We don't know what he wants, but Cassie cannot afford to lose both of her parents, okay? I know you have a hero complex, but the best way to help right now is to stay safe. Alright?"

Rose nodded, as she kept sobbing, but slowly started trying to calm down.

"I am going to give you some Sleeping Drought, okay? I'll get some covers so you can sleep" Albus commented, as he went into the kitchen to look for the infamous potion. He wasn't proud of it, but he always had some prepared. The potion was known for providing deep, dreamless sleep to the drinker, and Albus could confirm that it was true. The things he saw on his job on a daily basis were not easy to digest, and sometimes too much for him to handle at nights. It was quite common amongst the Auror's in his department, although Rose was incredibly against it because of its addictive side effects.

But that night, she didn't complain. She needed a deep, dreamless sleep. Because when she woke up she would continue living her personalized nightmare.

* * *

He opened his eyes to see nothing. Everything was pitch black around him. His head was pounding, and his mouth felt dry. He tried moving, but his body didn't respond. He was probably under a paralyzing spell, or just experiencing the symptoms of heavy exhaustion.

He didn't know how long he had been there, sitting inside that room. It felt like years to him, but it may have been hours. The last thing he remembered was seeing the expression of horror on Rose's face before he was taken away. After that, he only remembers waking up.

It was his fault. He knew he was getting into something dangerous when he opened the door that day at his office. His gut feeling was telling him it was a bad idea, but he was desperate. He _needed_ to make his plan work. He knew it was going to change lives, and he thought it was worth the risk.

It clearly didn't.

As he started feeling his fingers again, he was struck by light as a door opened. He thought he was in a much larger room, but it seemed to just be the size of a closet. A dark figure hovered over him. It was the same man that took him, still unrecognizable to him.

"Look who's awake," the man said, in a vicious tone. "Are we feeling okay, Mr. Malfoy?" he continued, sarcastically.

Scorpius didn't find the strength to reply. He felt his words stuck in his head like they didn't dare to come out in case they were his lasts.

"We've been waiting for this for a long time." The man clutched to Scorpius eye level. He finally could see his facial features. He was a lot younger than he originally thought, probably around his own age. He had deep dark circles under his eyes and an unkempt beard that framed his tired, aging face. He was smiling, but there was nothing joyful about him.

"What…what do you want from me?" Scorpius mumbled, with the last bit of strength he had. He was starting to realize how thirsty he actually was.

"Oh, Malfoy, we don't want anything from you." The man replied as he widened his smile. "We are just going to bring out who you truly are"

"What do you mean?"

"Let's face it, you've been pretending to be who you are not for so long. You've been a traitor to your kind and to your roots. But that ends now."

"I haven't been betraying anyone" Scorpius stated, with a strength in his voice he thought he didn't even have anymore.

"Oh, yes you have. For fifteen years, you've been lying to yourself and everyone around you"

"Fifteen years?" Scorpius quickly did the math. His family's supposed "betrayal" happened a lot longer than that. "What happened fifteen years ago?"

But the man didn't reply. He just drew his wand out, and everything went black again.


End file.
